Siege Of Leningrad

Sam Bigglestone

Siege Of Leningrad

Sam Bigglestone

Backround

The siege of Leningrad started on September 8, 1941, when German forces were pushing toward Moscow and instead of attacking Leningrad, they just encircled the city and let the civilians and harsh conditions do the killing for them, instead of wasting bullets that could be used while pushing toward Moscow. The siege lasted almost 2 and a half years and killed an estimated 1,000,000 people. To add insult to injury, the Germans bombed the city with artillery and air drops. Rations were cut to 1/3 of what an adult needs, and soon dogs, cats, and other animals became the main food course. When winter hit, the city had already used all of its oil so there was no more heating, so many people died from the harsh winter. Also, the water pipes froze so the drinking water was taken from the residents. The winter did freeze over Lake Ladoga which created a route for supplies to come in and civilians to leave. With the population decreasing, it opened up more rations for the citizens and stabilized their conditions until the Russians finally pushed the Germans past Leningrad and in 1944, the citizens could finally celebrate the sieges end.

Hardships

Hunger

During the Siege of Leningrad, one of the worst hardships was hunger. With supplies not coming into Leningrad, and the estimated 1,000,000 people needing food, rations were cut to 1/3 of what an adult needs. The city's population of dogs, cats, and other animals began being the main food course. There was no flour, so they made bread out of sawdust and other materials. Some people went insane with the hunger and started trying to eat other humans. "Library Candy" was made out of wax and many people ate that.

Winter

The brutal Russian winter was another one of the citizens worst enemies. At the end of September, the cities oil and coal supply was used up so the city didn't have any heating. People began grabbing any wood they could find to burn. When people began dying because of the cold and everything else, the frozen earth was rock solid so no one could be buried and dead bodies began littering the streets. The only good thing about the winter was the fact that it froze Lake Ladoga which opened up a route for supplies to come into the city, and for people to start evacuating.

Bombardment

Not only did the Germans put the city of Leningrad under siege, they also constantly bombed the city. Not only were the citizens fighting off the hunger and cold, they were also trying to find a place to stay the night since most buildings were destroyed by the bombs. The constant sounds of bombs dropping and blowing up became a normal and most people just tuned it out.

Hunger

During the Siege of Leningrad, one of the worst hardships was hunger. With supplies not coming into Leningrad, and the estimated 1,000,000 people needing food, rations were cut to 1/3 of what an adult needs. The city's population of dogs, cats, and other animals began being the main food course. There was no flour, so they made bread out of sawdust and other materials. Some people went insane with the hunger and started trying to eat other humans. "Library Candy" was made out of wax and many people ate that.

Winter

The brutal Russian winter was another one of the citizens worst enemies. At the end of September, the cities oil and coal supply was used up so the city didn't have any heating. People began grabbing any wood they could find to burn. When people began dying because of the cold and everything else, the frozen earth was rock solid so no one could be buried and dead bodies began littering the streets. The only good thing about the winter was the fact that it froze Lake Ladoga which opened up a route for supplies to come into the city, and for people to start evacuating.

Bombardment

Not only did the Germans put the city of Leningrad under siege, they also constantly bombed the city. Not only were the citizens fighting off the hunger and cold, they were also trying to find a place to stay the night since most buildings were destroyed by the bombs. The constant sounds of bombs dropping and blowing up became a normal and most people just tuned it out.

Journal #1: Hardships or Hunger

In the book "City of Thieves", Lev, Vera, and the twins face many hardships dealing with hunger. Before the war had begun, Lev, Vera and the twins had smoked cigarets and stood on the roof posing as soldiers, eating carelessly without even thinking about it. Now that Leningrad is under siege, they hunt down rats and an onion and 125 gram loaf of bread was a decent meal, even though the bread wasn't really bread, it was made out of sawdust and whatever else could be mixed together and eaten. (pg # 10-11)

City of St. Petersburg also known as Piter

Before War- real historical marker from novel

Before the war, life in the city was just as normal as life for us. Before the war, 1,100 people lived in his building, they would all eat like food would last forever, leaving scraps of food and throwing it to waste. (pg 7-8)

During war

Life in Leningrad during the siege was brutal. No food, no water, no heating, no money. People would hunt down rats, cook pets, and even each other. The bread was rock hard and was made of whatever people could mix together and eat. Bodies would litter the streets and could not be buried because of the frozen ground. (pg 11)

Post war

When the war was over life went back to normal, except now Lev had a girlfriend. The city was still broken, but recovering. Lev bought an apartment and lived a normal life. (pg 255-256)

Before War- real historical marker from novel

Before the war, life in the city was just as normal as life for us. Before the war, 1,100 people lived in his building, they would all eat like food would last forever, leaving scraps of food and throwing it to waste. (pg 7-8)

During war

Life in Leningrad during the siege was brutal. No food, no water, no heating, no money. People would hunt down rats, cook pets, and even each other. The bread was rock hard and was made of whatever people could mix together and eat. Bodies would litter the streets and could not be buried because of the frozen ground. (pg 11)

Post war

When the war was over life went back to normal, except now Lev had a girlfriend. The city was still broken, but recovering. Lev bought an apartment and lived a normal life. (pg 255-256)

Journal #2- Emotional and Physical Challenges

Horrors of War

List and describe the emotional and physical challenges behind the story of the sheepdog, Zoya, and playing chess with Abendroth

Emotional Challenges

Physical Challenges

Journal #3- Essential Question

War destroys identities, but it also creates new ones. In City of Thieves, the war makes Lev pose as an illiterate gentile, even though hes a Jew and his dad was one of the greatest poets in their city. War makes Kolya pose as illiterate even though hes writing a novel during the course of the war, and it makes Vika pose as a boy, when shes really a girl. The war also changes Lev and Kolya. Before the war, Lev was an unsocial, weak hearted kid who was afraid. Kolya was a soldier who drank and had sex and that was all he cared about. However, during the war, Lev became less and less afraid because Kolya taught him how to fight and how to be strong, and how to get with girls. The war made Kolya into a mentor and older brother figure instead of a drunk who just wanted sex. It also destroyed Levs old self who was afraid and was socially awkward and turned him into a soldier who would take on anything that came at him .

Essential Question:

What role does war play in creating and destroying national identities? pg 221